Wicked Game
by Sen Kotoba
Summary: A lost heritage. Relena Peacecraft thought the Sanc Kingdom was the only surprise about her past...
1. Chapter 1

Wicked Game

by Sen

"The girl is still alive. A surprise."

"As I said. The family is well known for their strong children, and she will be no different."

"She will mature long before it does."

"No matter. She will be in a position of our choosing when it happens. We will guide her then."

"See that you do. We need not the issues that will come from unveiling ourselves."

Chapter 1

The pen scratched across paper, leaving an ink trail curled and curved into a signature. Over and over, countless papers for a signature. Relena sighed as she looked at the stack beside her. Was it her imagination, or did it seem to grow when she wasn't looking? Oh, what was she saying. That could actually be true, given how people seem to slip things in when she wasn't looking.

One could be forgiven in thinking this endless mound of paperwork was a diversion, she thought. Especially when it was. She wasn't exceptionally skilled in politics on the level of Queen of Earth, but her upbringing left her with the knowledge of when she was being treated as a figurehead and given busy work as a diversion. But she wouldn't allow it to continue. She was now in a position that people would listen to. Many people. Relena nodded to herself as her fingers drew out another signature. Her speeches would be listened to now by many. She could stop this war, stop tragedies like Sanc from happening again.

And no amount of paperwork would stop her from doing it.

Oh, but she was starting to feel... oh no. Relena put a hand to her head as she swayed in her seat. No, she hadn't taken anything that she hadn't had verified first. No drinks. No food. Romefeller couldn't have drugged her. Unless... Her mind spun as she tried to think of everything she had put into her body today. Had one thing slipped by? Water? A bite of food? She couldn't stay here. She had to get up, get into a place they couldn't find her if she passed out. Relena swallowed as she got up, knocking her chair over as she went. No, she had to be in a place she would be safe.

If only she had made that panic room...! Relena stumbled into the hall, her vision blurring. She wasn't going to get far, she knew it. But she had to try. Her feet shuffled as fast as they could down the hall, her hands trying to grip the wall for all its worth. She managed a few meters, maybe more, before collapsing.

_No..._

There was a voice. A maid? Yes, Relena realized. That was one of her maids. And just as she saw her face, her vision dimmed to nothing. Her hearing went last, horrified screams choked off taking her to unconsciousness.

* * *

"Hey. Hey, man. What's with the sudden alert? Our fun guard buddies coming to pound on us more?"

"No. I only... had a sense of something changing around us. An ill tide."

"... think Yuy's finally busting us out?"

"It would be about time."

* * *

"Mmnm." Relena snuggled into her sheets, trying to ignore the light. It was... light. And painful. Her head hurt for some reason, pounding against her skull like- wait. Wasn't there something she needed to do? Slowly, she opened her eyes.

It was her room, that was certain. And she was in her nightclothes... odd for this time of day. With wet hair, even odder. She usually dried her hair before going to bed. Why? Relena tried to remember what happened. She had been signing papers, and then... what?

"You're awake, my liege."

Relena sat up quickly, feeling nauseous as the headache intensified. The maid. Now she remembered. The maid had been there as she was passing out. "What happened? Was there an attack?"

"Oh, oh no!" The maid shook her head, black curls bouncing against her face. "You only passed out, my liege. Are you well?" She paused, then laughed a little. "A stupid question, isn't it. I apologize. It's just... the first time I've been able to speak to you like this, my lady. I had hoped to see you again, and..."

"See me again?" Relena tilted her head. Who was this woman?

The maid put a hand to her mouth. "Oh. Of course you wouldn't remember. You were but a wee thing, a small baby." She smiled warmly, walking closer to her as she pulled out a small box. "My lady, I've been searching for you."

"What..." Her head. It was pounding so much. The maid stopped, putting the box away.

"Oh, how could I be so cruel as to do this now. Please, my liege, rest. I will explain later." She started fussing over the girl, laying her back down and tucking her in. "My lady. I am so happy to see you well."

There was something. Something not right in her voice, her words. But the thoughts disappeared as sleep suddenly claimed her again, dragging Relena down into dreamless depths.


	2. Chapter 2

_Blood._

_It was everywhere._

_And she loved it. Her fingers gripped the borrowed knife harder. There had to be one more person here. Just one more. Her hair floated in front of her face, pure white streaked with dark crimson. She pushed it away, annoyed._

_Just one more person..._

Chapter 2

How many days it took her to recover was unknown. Relena would wake suddenly for a few seconds, briefly feel confused and almost panicked as darkness dragged her down again, then fall hard back to dreamless sleep. It was almost disturbing in its own right, the fact she had no dreams the entire time.

Finally, she woke for good, her stomach pulling her out of the cycle with a very unladylike growl. Relena placed a hand over it, sitting up slowly. She felt slightly weak, but that would be because of how little food, of course. There was a slightly nervous laugh as she thought that. Of course it was just that.

"My liege." The maid closed the door behind her, a tray in her hands. "I had wondered if you were to wake this time." She put the tray down, a small breakfast with a long box off to one corner. "I am so happy to see you awake."

Relena smiled a little, shaking her head. "You shouldn't have worried, miss..."

"Elaide." The maid - Elaide - she looked almost wounded at that. "But of course I worry, my liege. I fear I've not been completely truthful with you." She picked up the box, and presented it to Relena, almost like a vassal presenting a sword to her lord. "For you see, I know your true birthright."

"What do you mean about that..." Relena whispered. Every part of her screamed not to take the box. Things will change, they said. Your world will become completely different.

"The Sanc Kingdom. I was the keeper... for when you are ready. To find them, and keep them from killing more." Elaide slowly opened the box, bowing into a deep stance. "To hunt the monsters no one else sees."

In the box was a plain knife, handle made of gorgeous pearl.

Relena gasped, dumbstruck. Then, almost furiously: "Get out."

Elaide looked up, surprise slowly crossing her face. "My lady, your-"

"Get out, I said! I don't know who you think I am, but I am not some killer!" Just the sight of the knife made her sick. Elaide closed her eyes, then put the box on the bed.

"If you feel that way, then I would not read the news any time soon. If you wish to keep your head in the sand..." Elaide turned to leave, disappointment written in every movement. Relena watched her leave, then threw the box against the door.

How _dare _she even pretend the Peacecraft family would have killed like that...!

* * *

_She had to get out._

_There was nothing else to kill here. But out here... there were more. There was a boy right in front of her, alone. A runaway? No, a war orphan. He was scrappy, a fighter._

_He would be fun. He would certainly die in the most amusing way._

_Necks certainly snapped with a fun crack._

* * *

Relena munched on a piece of toast, feeling better than she had in days. The rest had done her well, as well as eating simply for those days. It didn't tax her body, and let her naturally recover. Even her servants had been quiet, leaving food for her without disturbing her in the least. But she would need to get dressed today and get back to her duties. There was still a war going on, and had to stop it.

Her hand hovered over the paper, Elaide's words coming back to her. Not to read the news, not to get involved. But she was already involved with the war. If someone decided to report on the horrors... well, it would only give her more reason to try harder at peace. Elaide had been let go, anyway, and surely security would make sure she couldn't get back in and babble her insane stories about the Peacecraft family. Relena picked up the paper, reading in quick nervous lines.

Nothing. The usual stories about war, about the Gundams (Heero. If only he didn't have to fight like this, if only he could be a normal boy-!) and OZ. There was nothing-

No. A little story. Her eyes caught on it. It was off to the side, buried under the rest of the horrors. It wouldn't even normally be reported about, a little war orphan boy being killed. It was considered normal in these times, but this... the violence against the boy. His throat had been snapped, the final blow that killed him. But his arms had been torn off, his legs ripped to pieces and his intestines wound around his head. Relena felt her meager breakfast come back up as she read. He couldn't have been older than nine. At nine, he should have been going to school. Playing at home. He shouldn't have been out on the streets, fending for himself, trying to stay alive and failing as some crazy person killed him with such-

She felt dizzy again, her stomach starting to hurt. What was crazy was it felt ifamiliar/i. Had she seen something like this before? It couldn't be. She hadn't paid attention to killings like this until she was fully exposed to the horrors that her father had protected her from. What he had taken her from when her birth parents had died. Relena was dimly aware that she had fallen onto the floor, holding her stomach. Something was inside her screaming, telling her what it was if she would only _listen_-

Arms surrounded her, a subtle perfume tickling her senses and calming her. The arms helped her up, leading her to her room and back to bed. A gentle voice, familiar- "Elaide?" Relena asked in a weak voice as she stumbled down the hall.

The arms tightened on her. "I couldn't leave you alone with that out there," the voice said, apologetically. "No one else knows about them. But you... you can stop it. I couldn't let them find the last of you and kill you."

_How did she get in-_ But her words calmed her, cleared her head. Relena looked up at the older woman, close enough to see the faint wrinkles from a hard life, too deep for a woman of her age. Her curls were streaked with grey, why hadn't she noticed it before? And the scar under her chin, as if she had barely escaped having her throat slit with her life...

"Shh. We can talk later, my lady. We can start your training later."


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: I went a little Tsukihime here. I've been playing too many Nasu works recently._

"Have you seen the news recently?"

"I have, sir."

"Quite nasty. Another has awakened, I see."

"Should we be concerned? It would take me no time to raise a spy and-"

"No. They can take care of it."

"They?"

"They should be able, as inhuman as they are. It would be no trouble and you wouldn't have to tip your hand so early."

"Of course, sir."

Chapter 3

A mug of tea sat steaming in front of Relena, untouched. She looked at it, and pulled her robe closer around her. "You are aware, without proof, what you say about my family is unbelievable."

Elaide took a sip of her own tea, then looked at the mug. "I know. I hadn't quite believed it myself until I was nearly killed. I can certainly give proof... but the issue is that you would need to put yourself into danger. You would need to hunt one." She gave Relena an apologetic look, taking another sip.

Relena shook her head. "I can't do that. You-"

"I know." Her voice was gentle, and she freed one hand from the mug to reach out to Relena. "But it's the only way. Didn't you feel anything when you saw the news report? Anything familiar?"

Relena looked away, her knees coming up slightly. Instinctively trying to curl up. "It doesn't mean a thing. It... it's a coincidence."

"My liege." Elaide took a deep breath. "I understand how insane this must feel. But it must feel familiar to you. This is something your family has been fighting for years. Something that plagued them that they were trying to keep from reaching public eyes and creating a panic." She looked up at the window, then nodded. "Tonight. If I'm wrong and there is nothing, then the walk I will take tonight will be nothing and you can accompany me with no issue. If that happens, I will leave. But... if not... will you take up the blade?"

"How dare you ask that of me," Relena said, her voice filled with heat. "To start killing. I don't-"

"I know, my lady. But if I'm right, we will need you."

Relena looked at her, her mind thinking. Would it hurt? After all, the things Elaide were insane. No possible way they could be true. A walk tonight should do her some good anyway. She had to cancel several speeches feeling the way she had, and it would be nice to get out of the house for once. "Tonight, then."

Elaide merely smiled, sipping her tea again.

* * *

Quiet nights were nice nights to take walks. Relena looked up from under the wide-brimmed hat obscuring her features, smiling a little as the peaceful faces also taking a small walk. This was what she wanted, faces like these without the taint of worry that the war would meet them here. Next to her, Elaide's gaze swept back and forth across the same faces that made her smile.

"There's nothing here," she whispered to the older woman. "I should go. This is ridiculous."

Elaide looked down an alley, then continued walking. Then, softly, "You're right. I'm sorry, my liege. I will no longer bother you." She moved a little away, continuing walking and slowly blending into the crowd and disappearing. Relena turned away, starting back to her house. How could she have let herself get caught up in that fantastical story, even for a short while?

She crossed the alley Elaide had looked down, then stopped. Her stomach felt... weird. Something was making it roll. Relena shook her head, ready to continue on. It was only the weird bug she had. There was nothing down-

Something groaned. Relena froze as the inhuman sound reached her ears. Something was groaning, asking her to come forth. Her legs started down the alley before she could think one way or the other about it, pulling her further away from the bustle of the crowd. Her hand crept up to rest against the skin covering her pounding heart, unsure and nearly frightened. But there had to be nothing here. After all, Elaide was wrong. There was-

Dust filled her eyes, and something scratched her face as it flew by. Bits of wall, a part of her mind noted. Something had slammed into the wall hard enough that the concrete powdered into dust and bits of the larger pieces scratched her. Relena coughed as the dust started to settle, then watched the scene before her, her breath caught.

The man before her, if he could be called such, was inhuman. His eyes were filled with a light indescribable to her, and he was covered in blood. One arm was broken, bits of bone sticking uncaringly out, and he was holding himself like it didn't even matter to him. His teeth, poking out from under thin lips twisted into a hungry grin, were sharpened into deadly points. Relena took one shaking step backwards, her breath wavering in her throat. What was he? She tried to take another step away before he rushed her, screaming in a tongue completely unknown to her. His hand came out to grab her, his prize stolen from his barbed claws as something slammed into him.

No, not something. Someone. Relena's eyes widened as she recognized the dark curls. "Elaide!"

The woman turned slightly, surprised. That was all the time the creature needed to grab her, turning so Elaide slammed against the wall instead with the same force. The knife Elaide was holding, a near twin of the one that she had tried to give Relena, fell from her suddenly nerveless fingers. It clattered to the ground as the creature screamed in triumph and tried to go in for the kill.

No...

This wasn't meant to be...

Relena's hand suddenly held the knife. She couldn't let Elaide die. She couldn't let another person die on her! The knife glinted once, twice, then the arm holding the woman to the wall fell off in pieces. There had been no resistance. The knife simply...

Glinted.

Again

And

Again

Until the unholy creature fell apart into eight distinct pieces.

Relena dropped the knife, her blooded hands coming up to her head as a scream built in her throat. It ripped across her vocal cords, trying to escape out and drown out of the happy noises of unsuspecting socialites. Elaide's arms surrounded her, pulling her up. She was saying something, but she couldn't hear it.

She killed someone. Something. She cut it into little...

Darkness rose to meet her, bringing the pavement with it.


	4. Chapter 4

The call came in. He put aside his wrench and plans to upgrade his Gundam to take it, knowing it will be a task. Blow a storage facility up. Wreck a Mobile Suit. Maybe assassination. He never knew. This time, it was a video that greeted him.

The victim was maybe nine, ten years old. An orphan, by the look of his clothing and gauntness of features. There was something attacking him, something so fast that even slowing the video down to a crawl only revealed a blurred female face. She had white hair, even more so than the Catalonia girl. It was unnatural, nothing that could come from age or a bottle. The woman, no, girl was strong. She ripped one arm off and tossed it down the alley, the other being taken to beat him savagely. His femoral artery was pierced, and wouldn't live... no. How she just ripped out his... his head lifted as the final snap echoed in the cockpit, signifying the end of the torture he was watching. The creature bounded off away from the camera, still moving too quickly for any features to be recognized. The video came to a close as it was replaced by a secure feed of a familiar scientist.

"Are you aware of what that could be?"

He hesitated, thinking. His mind came to only one conclusion, or at least the only one that would cause the scientist to call. "A new soldier, out of control. OZ created her, and lost her."

He nodded, grimly. "She seems to have no concept of civilian or soldier. This boy is only one of many in the area. Given the current residence of a very high profile young woman, one that you are very aware of, it was decided that we must take her down. It would create more war if she were to kill our high profile in that way."

Her. HIs eyes narrowed at that, knowing who the high profile target was. She was a nuisance, and a pawn. One that needed to be silenced before her handlers used her idealistic words against her. But in the public eye as she was... no, he couldn't kill her quite yet.

"Understood."

"I'm sending you the details now. 01, I expect this taken care of quickly."

"Understood."

Chapter 4

The blanket was warm and soft. The tea was just as warm in her hands. Relena looked at the tea blankly, knowing it would be delicious. It was the tea she always took, and it would be nice and warm after Elaide just made it. But she couldn't bring herself to raise it to her lips. Every time she did, she remembered how easy it was. How easily a person... no, that wasn't a person. She had to remind herself that what fell apart into pieces like that wasn't a person. It was a monster, one that was going to kill Elaide and herself. Relena tried to raise the tea to her lips again, and hissed as her shaking hands caused the hot liquid to slop over the sides and over her front. And she has just changed her clothes to something not so bloody...

A scream built in her throat, and Elaide's hand touched hers. "I know, my lady," the woman whispered, guiding the mug back down onto the table. "It's hard. But now you know. You can see now that the universe needs you. This colony needs you. You're the only one that can fight them."

"I can't," Relena choked out, watching the quivering surface of the tea. "Elaide, I'm not... I can't be the one that can... I'm not strong like that. I've never hurt anyone before. I've never wanted-"

"You must have known," Elaide pushed, her voice gentle. "Even just one event, where you did something you didn't know you could do before."

"I-" There wasn't, was there? "I never-" No, that didn't ring true. She had done something before. She- Relena freed one hand, her stomach suddenly twisting and stabbing pain through her torso. It hurt so much, it-

A rose came into her memory. Worn by that lady Colonel, broken apart by a bullet fired... The pain relaxed as she remembered firing the gun at her, leaving a sick feeling behind. "But I..."

Elaide's arms surrounded her, enveloping the distressed girl in a motherly hug. "Shh. You won't do this alone, my liege. I promise. I know it's a lot to take in. But I'm here. I'll help you. I promise." Relena looked down at the table, a sick oily feeling sliding uneasily through her veins as Elaide let her go.

* * *

It was too easy. His lips quirked into a grin as he came up behind the unsuspecting victim, looking for any weapons. It wouldn't do to do this and suddenly be fired upon or stabbed or-

Wait, there was something on the screen. He stopped, frowning at the screen. It was gruesome, whatever it was. Someone being killed in a very disturbing way, and he had seen a lot of death. His victim rewound the footage and slowed it down, trying to get any sort of clean look at the attacker, then paused. Strange, but the attacker was almost too fast for any human eye to see. If he squinted, he could almost-

"I know you're there, Maxwell."

Duo cursed mentally, outwardly leaning onto the chair now that Heero had caught him. "So, is this a new mission only your scientist gave you, or did I interrupt you during a private moment?"

It was always so satisfying to watch Heero's hand twitch like that. "It's none of your business," the other teen said coolly. "If it was, then your scientist would have given you the same orders."

Duo tsked, looking at the paused screen. Something about the figure was almost disturbingly familiar. "You know, fresh eyes can sometimes help."

"Sometimes, mouthy Gundam pilots get shot."

Duo raised his hands, stepping back. It was almost too far that he had pushed Heero. "Fine, fine. I just stopped by your hidey hole to try to help you, maybe exchange information. You know, maybe if your head was to stop trying to compete with living space next to the tree up your ass, you might actually get somewhere."

Heero's fist was almost too fast to see. Duo just managed to block that one, but not the one aimed at his stomach. Damn, but Heero was almost too strong for his own good. The pilot managed a solid hit across the other youth, but Heero didn't even seem to register it, another fist coming in to smash into Duo's nose. He tasted blood, but he couldn't stop. Not now, not-

And now he was forced backwards across the tiny room, his feet stumbling over themselves as a blond head came between them. "I thought I felt that you two where being stupid," Quatre said, his voice filled with heat. "I wasn't going to come this way but damn it, Duo, I should not see Deathscythe flying off in this direction and know this was going to happen."

Duo grinned fiercely, knowing his teeth were bloody from the hits Heero had given him. It was always strange to hear a boy with such a face curse like that, but right now, it fit with the other inanity going on. "Just had to figure out what was causing our dear Wing to stay in his hanger when the rest of us were going out on real missions."

Quatre raised a hand at Heero as he was about to dash towards him, glaring until he lowered the clenched fist. "And that's none of your business, Duo. You have a mission you should be on yourself. Whatever Heero is doing is his own way of helping."

The boy raised his hands in surrender. Quatre's speeches about peace within the team was something he didn't want to hear, and actually, he was kind of not wanting to continue the fight anymore. "Fine. Anyway, it's not like I was interested in figuring out who that girl was." Duo quickly hopped upstairs out of Heero's designated safe bunker, wanting to get away from that. He gently tested his nose as he walked, hissing as it was revealed it was broken. "Damn it. Yuy, are you just getting stronger and thicker every day or is it my imagination...?"

Just probably a good thing the other pilots were out doing their own thing. Hearing Chang's speeches or seeing Barton's almost creepy stare until they broke apart would have been even worse.

But the hairstyle he saw on that female attacker... hadn't he seen it before?


End file.
